Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2010-11: Ville Husso began the year with the HIFK U16 team before joining Jokerit youth product Samuli Eskuri on the HIFK U18 team. In 16 regular season games he had a 2.42 goals against and .930 save percentage. Husso started three of four playoff games and had a 4.83 goals against and .884 save percentage. He appeared in four international games for Finland’s U17 team and played 12 games with Finland’s U16 squad.

2011-12: Husso split the goaltending duties for HIFK’s U20 team with Jaako Simola during the regular season before taking over in the playoffs as HIFK defeated Helsinki rival Jokerit in the Junior A finals. In 27 regular season games Husso had a 2.41 goals against and .913 save percentage. He played in ten playoff games and posted a 2.23 goals against and .926 save percentage. Husso played in seven international games at the U17 level for Finland and had a 3.45 goals against and .865 save percentage.

2012-13: Husso played for Finland’s U18 team at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament before returning to HIFK’s U20 team. He was a workhorse for HIFK in his second season with the club — appearing in 41 games — and was selected to Finland’s U18 team that won a bronze medal at the 2013 World Junior Championship in Sochi, Russia. He finished the regular season for HIFK with a 2.63 goals against and .909 save percentage. In five playoff games he had a 2.23 goals against and .926 save percentage. In three games at the Ivan Hlinka tournament he had a 4.63 goals against and .839 save percentage. Husso did not see any action in Sochi as a backup to HPK’s Juuse Saros (NSH). In four pre-tournament games with Finland’s U18 team he had a 4.22 goals against and .846 save percentage. Husso was ranked sixth amongst European goalies in Central Scouting’s final rankings prior to the 2013 NHL Draft but was not selected.

2013-14: Husso seized the starting goalie spot for HIFK’s men’s team and was one of the top goalies in Finland’s Liiga as a rookie. In 41 games he was 19-14-5 with two shutouts and had a 1.99 goals against average and .923 save percentage. HIFK finished ninth in Liiga and was swept by Pelicans Lahti in a best-of-three preliminary series. Husso started both games, stopping 43 of 46 shots and finishing with a 1.25 goals against and .935 save percentage. He started two games for Finland’s gold medal-winning U20 squad at the 2014 World Junior Championship and was 0-2 with a 4.68 goals against and .854 save percentage. He was the top ranked international goalie in the Central Scouting final rankings and was selected by St. Louis in the fourth round (94th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft.

2014-15: Husso played in 41 of 60 regular season games for HIFK Helsinki in his second Liiga season. He was 16-11-10 with three shutouts and had a 2.36 goals against and .915 save percentage. Seventh-place HIFK swept Ilves in a preliminary series before falling to Tappara Tampere in the quarterfinals. Husso was 1-2 with a 2.27 goals against and .897 save percentage in three playoff games.

2015-16: Husso finished with the top goals against average in Liiga playing for first-place HIFK and was in net for the team’s run to the Kanada Cup finals against Tappara Tampere. He was 25-8-6 with five shutouts and had a 1.91 goals against and .927 save percentage in 39 regular season games. HIFK eliminated Pelicans and JyP to reach the finals before falling to Tappara in a memorable seven-game series. Husso was 9-6-0 with four shutouts and had a 1.55 goals against and .935 save percentage in 15 playoff games. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with St. Louis in May 2016.

Talent Analysis

Husso was one of the more heavily scrutinized players in Finland during his junior hockey career but quieted many of his critics with an outstanding rookie season in Liiga in 2013-14. While questions persist among some coaches about his composure and mental approach, he was one of the league's top goalies as an 18-year-old on a team that was in turmoil at times. His physical skills and technical abilities match those of many of the top goalies in his age group and his production is starting to match his talent level.

Future

Husso was one of the top goalies in Europe in 2015-16, leading HIFK Helsinki to a first-place finish and the playoff finals in his third Liiga season. He signed an entry-level contract with St. Louis in May 2016 and will likely play for the AHL's Chicago Wolves in 2016-17. Like Nashville Predators' prospect Juuse Saros, Husso has been highly-regarded since his junior days but unlike Saros he has the prototypical size of an NHL goaltender. The 21-year-old will need some seasoning but he has the tools to be an elite goaltender.

Photo: St. Louis Blues prospect Luke Opilka is part of a crowded and talented depth chart at goaltender, but gets a chance to shine on the international stage with Team USA at the 2016 World Juniors (courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

The St. Louis Blues have continued to find success through the NHL draft and have several intriguing prospects at every stage of hockey. While most of the Blues prospects are at the professional or college level, the young talent at the junior level has given St. Louis even more to look forward to down the line. The most impressive aspect of their junior prospect pool is the level of skill at forward, on defense, and in net.

Photo: Although it is early in the season, St. Louis Blues prospect Austin Poganski risks taking a step back from his impressive freshman season at the University of North Dakota (courtesy of Michael Tureski/Icon Sportswire)

The St. Louis Blues have plenty of young talents in their pipeline and several of their prospects opened the 2015-16 campaign at the pro level. In terms of positional depth, the Blues possess a deep group of goaltenders and continue to find ways to replenish their defensive prospects. While a few positions boast high-end talent, overall depth on the wings needs to be addressed – especially after several players already made the jump to the NHL over the last few seasons.

Photo: St. Louis Blues prospect Jake Walman and the Providence College Friars may not repeat as NCAA National Champions, but individual improvement is always expected (courtesy of Michael Tureski/Icon Sportswire)

With several players making their jumps to the AHL level, the St. Louis Blues have plenty of prospects moving forward in their hockey careers. The Chicago Wolves will be stacked with Blues prospects, many who are considered their very best, and there is a good chance a few of them will see NHL action by season’s end. Read more»

Photo: St. Louis Blues prospect Robby Fabbri was one of the OHL’s best players for most of last season (courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

While the top three prospects have shifted positions over the past few seasons, the St. Louis Blues have added tremendous depth to their pipeline over the past two years. Despite a somewhat quiet outing at the 2015 Draft the team is poised to reap the benefits of its pipeline soon. 2014 first-round pick Robby Fabbri is showing signs of being an NHL-ready player while 2014 second-rounder Ivan Barbashev also looks like a future Blue. Apart from those two, the amount of goaltending talent in the system is simply phenomenal – with a good talent like Luke Opilka not even making the cut – and that could one day stabilize a position that has been a weak point in otherwise excellent teams.

Photo: Karpat Oulu forward and Carolina Hurricanes prospect Sebastian Aho and his Karpat teammates will be going for their third consecutive Kanada Cup championship (courtesy of Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

With the addition of former Mestis club KooKoo, Finland’s Liiga in 2015-16 will feature 15 teams for the first time in league history. But, while the Kouvola-based squad should enjoy an intense rivalry with neighboring SaiPa Lappeenranta in southeastern Finland, things aren’t likely to change at the top of the league standings. Read more»